Pages

This Is Me--2019 A to Z Theme

The Challenge of 2019 was the 10th! Since this was kind of a milestone year for A to Z my theme was a retrospective of sorts, looking at my 10 years as a blogger as well as ruminations about my life as it is and as I hope it yet can be. I've got places to be and people to see along the way. Hope you'll join me for this part of my journey...

Always a work in progress--welcome to my blog.

**

Monday, November 20, 2017

Subtract Attract and You've Got What?

The closer I get, the farther away I sometimes feel. It's all a matter of nuances, ongoing perplexities and a realm of complexities. Then there are my own assumptions about the way I would want things to be. In the end things all work out as they are meant to be.

Is Love the Drug?

A scene from Kennywood, an amusement park located in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania on the Monongahela River. This is a view of the Grand Carousel (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If love or affinity does not exist between people then what is there? We could be strangers known to each other, but each having a tacit refusal to recognize the other. Like on a busy street we pass faces we see often, regularly avoiding eye contact, walking on. There is our world and then there is the rest of the world that we don't know.

Perhaps in some deeply ingrained stubborn anger--an anger that understands not from where it came--or perhaps resentment rooted in events or words that have lost any actual impact on our lives other than the burden we carry in our memory--if we remember. Facing days with fists clenched and steely expressions, we might wonder where our hate (even the smallest traces of hate), where we developed it and why we love who we do.

But forgive my pondering. Some of the greatest philosophers of this age are the writers and singers of song. Sometimes when I hear songs, my mind wanders to places where the songwriters may have intended or maybe I take a side track.

Love as a drug makes for good metaphor. I can see how there are times in peoples' lives where it really does seem like love makes the world go 'round. And I believe it does. Sadly though, on this merry-go-round of life, there are other horses with names like Hurt, Hate, Sadness. and Loneliness. Keep riding and reaching for the brass ring. We all ride more than one of those horses in our lifetime.

If your life was part of an amusement park, which ride would you be on most often? As you get to know someone better do you ever find them to be more mystifying as time goes by? What is your best cure for overcoming disappointment?

Battle of the Bands Results

Love Is the Drug

My recent Battle was between two versions of the Roxy Music hit "Love Is the Drug". I presented a remake by the songwriter Bryan Ferry and a version by the rock group Divinyls.

For me it started out to be a tough choice--I think both are very good, each for its own special reason. I dug the horns--especially the saxophones--in the Bryan Ferry version. After repeated listening I became more inclined to liking the Divinyls version and that's where my vote went.

The Battle was a true horse race from the start, but in the end Bryan Ferry won by a nose.

Final Vote Tally

Bryan Ferry 11Divinyls 10

Happy Thanksgiving!

A lot of readers will likely be celebrating a special dinner on Thursday of this week, but no matter what: Always make your dinners special! After all life is pretty special. If you don't agree then I would recommend looking for the special things wherever you are. If you can't seem to find anything special then take it upon yourself to make something or someone special. That's one reason we have imagination.

30 comments:

A wonderful write Lee, I very often and ponder what has happened in my life regarding my family but at the end of the day you can't make someone speak to you if they don't wan to......although I wish I knew the reason.

I well remember Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music a great band in it's day.

Happy thanksgiving to you and family, we do in our lives do have something to be thankful for.Yvonne.

We are social animals. I never felt scorn for children who felt peer pressure in that I have known myself and other adults to conform to go with the flow. It sounds terrible; but we are so much better off with family and true friends who will tell us what we need to know. I love my family.

My life is a trip through a haunted house. A lot of scary things which amounted to nothing when I got past them. Take care Lee.

Ann, sometimes we don't get all of the information from others that we need, but relationships are often complex. Family ties should always be preserved as much as possible since there is usually more at stake.

I like the haunted house analogy. So true. Often our fears are about things that aren't as bad as we thought.

Craps...I missed your BOTB but I did just listen and I would vote for Bryan because it is a unique take on this song that I love. I hate the movie though because it was so disjointed and I could not wrap my mind of Leo being Gatsby. I loved the style which is always Baz but I’ll still take the film with Redford even though that, too is flawed. I would always ride The Monster or it was also called The Spider. It went up and down and around, made my stomach feel funny and the wind was in my hair...just like love. Some people find love and it lasts despite the ups and downs and some love feels so giddy and then crashes and burns. We either rise from those ashes or we wallow in it. Some get so burned they never go down that road again. Love is so great that it makes your stomach do somersaults but it can make your heart feel like it is breaking when things do not go well. I end up watching movies to make me feel better and I talk with friends. I think keeping busy is the best thing. Happy Thanksgiving week!

Birgit, with the holiday schedule this week I decided to wrap the Battle up early. Your vote would have solidified Ferry's win.

I remember a ride similar to what you described--it was called the Octopus at the park I used to go to. The first time I rode it I was terrified, but soon it became my favorite ride--up and down, round and round, it was a crazy disorienting ride. Just like love can often be.

Your philosophical meanderings are always interesting and make people think. My life has been like a roller coaster; lots of ups and downs, both frightening and exhilarating. Love truly does "make the world go 'round" but sometimes, it looks like hate is getting the upper hand. We mustn't let it win!

Lee, you have such a wonderful knack for tossing up conflicting issues like festive bits of perspective confetti. It’s a refreshing reminder that we do have a choice in what to keep or toss. I think that’s why I always enjoyed the Carnival Fun House ;-) Happy Turkey!

Really good Battle, LEE. Isn't that two BOTB one-vote-margin winners in a row for you?

>>... As you get to know someone better do you ever find them to be more mystifying as time goes by?

No. But there have been times where the longer I've known someone on friendly terms that the negative aspects of their personality have begun to grate on me to the point where I just didn't want to deal with them anymore.

None of us is perfect, so everyone, regardless of their fine positive traits, also has some negative traits, too. And sometimes, for me, for a long time I feel the positive outweighs the negative. But then over time I can occasionally reach a point where the negative traits begin to annoy me to the degree where I just don't feel the trade-off is worth it anymore.

STMcC, yes that's two 1 vote margins in a row. I'm due for one of those grossly outbalanced outcomes.

I've had those friendships as well. In more recent years it's often been extreme disagreements in politics and ideologies. I try to avoid those things if I see that there is a problem, but some people won't let it go and it all becomes very divisive. Moral outlook has also had an effect on some relationships I've had. There are some old friends who are so obscene or perverse I just don't want to hear what they have to say--I think it's more of a matter that I've changed to a greater extent and they've remained in old behavioral patterns they had when they were younger guys.

I agree with you completely on this! Back in the days when I had to work on holidays, I would would often be asked how I could justify being away from friends and family on such special occasions. It never really bothered me because I would always celebrate on a different day or after work. As long as you have your friends and family, it doesn't matter what day it is.

Mary Burris, specially set aside days are artificial celebrations that should be our everyday outlook on life if those celebrations are that important to us. And meal time should be enjoyed if for no other reason than to have good digestion.

There's just something about carousel pictures that inspire me to write and this one is in Pa. Thanks!Thank you also for the implanting of Love is the Drug in my head, it will be there all week.I vote for the original.Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

I love Kennywood! I haven't been in years, but I'm looking forward to returning many times after I've moved home to Pittsburgh. My favorite ride was the Old Mill, a dark boat ride with the theme of a haunted mill. It's such a shame they took it away recently.

Roller coasters are an apt metaphor for most people's lives. Almost everyone has both lows and highs, with some periods of relatively smooth, even sailing. Though my personal favorite ride at any amusement part is the Tilt-A-Whirl. I went on it at about seven years old, got nauseous, and decided not to ride it again. Then, when I was about eleven, my grandpap coaxed me back on and told me I wouldn't get sick if I pressed myself into the corner of the car. It's worked like a charm ever since. From that position in any spinning ride, the forces of gravity don't pull on you as strongly as in the middle of the car.

Carrie-Anne, last time I was at Kennywood Park would have been @1958 when I was very young. I've passed through Pittsburgh a few times in recent decades, but it was just passing through for the most part.

The roller coaster is probably the best most descriptive live metaphor. The Tilt-a-Whirl was always among my favorite rides when I was young--haven't ridden one of those in many years.

I don't get on many carnival rides anymore. I rode a Ferris wheel a couple years ago and a miniature train. I don't want to jar my aging body any more than I need to.

I didn't know how your BoTB would go down but it certainly was a tight race with my pick barely winning. Cool outcome!

I'd say my life for the most part is like a merry go-round. It rarely changes speed but when it does this I feel like I'm on the Scrambler be yanked this way and that with emotions.

I'm not sure if I ever felt anyone was mystifying, so to answer that part, I'd have to say no.

Whenever I'm disappointed I try to channel some good vibes somewhere, seeing the good in my life or reasoning that it's not worth the energy to waste my happiness and health over. Over the years I've grown more logical in how I deal with things instead of letting emotions rule always. Of course, I do have my moments like the anyone else.

You concluded with good advice to making time have a special meal for Thanksgiving. It doesn't have to be elaborate just as long as one shows his/her gratitude for blessings given. I hope you and your wife had a lovely holiday and I want to say thank you for being a good friend! Hugs to you and God bless!

Go ahead and say something. Don't be afraid to speak your mind.I normally try to respond to all comments in the comment section so please remember to check the "Email follow-up comments" box if you want to participate in the comment conversation.

For Battle of the Bands voting the "Anonymous" commenting option has been made available though this version is the least preferred. If voting using "anonymous" please include in your comment your name (first only is okay) and city you are voting from and the reason you chose the artist you did.

If you know me and want to comment but don't want to do it here, then you can send me an email @ jacksonlee51 at aol dot com.

Another A to Z Mission Accomplished!

A to Z 2020!!!

Bird Watchers

Follow by Email

I Am BlogMan!

Who's responsible for this blog anyway?

A juggler of words and phrases. My main blog is Tossing It Out. The focus blog for the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge can now be found at a-to-zchallenge.com where updates will be posted until the event in April begins.
Wrote By Rote is about memoir writing.
A Few Words is my Sunday contemplation blog.
A Faraway View is about dreams. Pick what you like or look at them all. I love blogging!